LEARNING

DEFINITION
A relatively permanent change in behavior brought about by experience.

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING A TYPE OF LEARNING

A type of learning in which a neutral stimulus comes to bring about a response after it is paired with a
stimulus that naturally brings about that response.

 EXPERIMENT

Pavlov attached a tube to the salivary gland of the dog to measure the dog’s salivation. He then rang
a bell and few seconds later presented it a meat. This pairing occurred repeatedly. At first, dog only
salivated only when meat was presented but soon it began to salivate at the bell sound too. Even
when Pavlov stopped presenting meat, the dog still salivated to the bell sound. The dog had been
classically conditioned to salivate to the bell.

COMPONENTS OF CLASSICAL CONDITIONING

 NEUTRAL STIMULUS
A stimulus that before conditioning, does not bring about the response of interest. The bell is
therefore neutral stimulus.
 UNCONDITIONED STIMULUS
A stimulus that naturally bring about the particular response without having been learned. The
meat is therefore unconditioned stimulus.
 UNCONDITIONED RESPONSE
A response that is natural and needs no training. Therefore, the salivation on meat is
unconditioned response.
 CONDITIONED STIMULUS
A once-neutral stimulus that has been paired with unconditioned stimulus to bring about a
response formerly caused only by unconditioned stimulus. Therefore, after conditioning, bell has
been changed to conditioned stimulus. ( neutral stimulus before)
 CONDITIONED RESPONSE
After conditioning, the conditioned stimulus brings about the conditioned response. Just as the
dog started salivation at the bell ringing.
-conditioned=learned
-unconditioned= not learned/natural

FURTHER CONCEPTS OF CONDITIONING

 EXTINCTION
A phenomenon of learning that occurs when a previously conditioned response decreases its
frequency and frequently disappear. ( continuously ringing the bell and not presenting meat)
 SPONTANEOUS RECOVERY
 The reemergence of extinguished conditioned response after a period of rest without any
further conditioning.
 STIMULUS GENERALIZATION
A process in which stimulus similar to conditioned stimulus produces the same response.
( such as Pavlov’s dog salivated at the sound of buzzer too)
 STIMULUS DISCRIMINATION
Stimulus discrimination provides the ability to differentiate between stimuli.

OPERANT CONDITIONING
Learning in which a voluntary response is strengthened or weakened, depending on its favorable and
unfavorable consequences. ( voluntary response; a chosen reaction to a stimulus)

THORNDIKE’S LAW OF EFFECT

Responses that lead to satisfying outcomes are more likely to be repeated

THE CENTRAL CONCEPT OF OPERANT CONDITIONING-

REINFORCEMENT
Reinforcement is a process by which a stimulus increases the probability that a preceding behavior will
be repeated.

 REINFORCER
Any stimuli that increases the probability that a preceding behavior will occur again.
 POSITIVE REINFORCER
A stimulus added to the environment that brings about an increase in a preceding behavior
 NEGATIVE REINFORCER
An unpleasant stimulus whose removal leads to increase the probability that a preceding
behavior will occur again in future.
 PUNISHMENT
 A stimulus that decreases the probability that preceding behavior will occur again

COMPARISON: CLASSICAL CONDITIONING AND OPERANT

CONDITIONING
CONCEPT CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
BASIC PRINCIPLE Building association between
conditioned stimulus and
conditioned response
NATURE OF BEHAVIOR Based on natural behavior
OPERANT CONDITIONING
Works on the frequency of
preceding behavior
Organisms voluntarily operates
on its environment to produce
desirable result

ORDER OF EVENTS Before conditioning, Reinforcement increases the

unconditioned stimulus brings behavior, punishment
an unconditioned response, decreases the behavior
after conditioning, a
 conditioned stimulus brings
conditioned response

LATENT LEARNING
Learning in which new a behavior is acquired but is not demonstrated until some incentive is provided to
display.

OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING
Learning by observing the behavior of another person or model.